It's Complicated
by Fenikkusu Ai
Summary: They fit together like a square peg in a round hole, but neither backs down from a challenge. Fifty sentences for Seto Kaiba x Malik Ishtar.


Title: It's Complicated

Pairing: Seto Kaiba x Malik Ishtar

Theme Set: Delta

Rating: T

* * *

#01—Air

The air crackles with ancient energy when Seto eyes up the uninvited guest that had so uncouthly rammed himself into his office and glares right into the Egyptian's maniacal purple eyes; unsure if this was a call for pleasure or business.

#02—Apples

Though Seto would never admit it, watching Malik teeth crunch into that lush ruby apple with juices running down the rebellious youth's chin was deeply satisfying.

#03—Beginning

The whirlwind all began when Seto sidled up to Malik one day and slyly pointed out what was then the Millenium rod while running one lean finger up the golden length of it and asking innocently, "So, what does _this _do?"

#04—Bugs

Accusingly, Malik gestured to the red spots on his otherwise perfect body and Seto announced in a deadly calm yet markedly furious voice, "For the last time, my mansion does _not_ have bugs."

#05—Coffee

"Disgusting," Malik hisses as he watches Seto tip the contents of the enamel coffee cup down his throat.

#06—Dark

"What?" Seto hisses when he notices the Egyptian's eyes haven't left his features for a good five minutes prompting Malik to explain, "I grew up in total darkness, and I never saw anyone besides my family, so when I see someone attractive; I stare."

#07—Despair

Seto doesn't want to admit the full extent of the despair he feels when Malik storms out of the room in a huff; leaving him to contemplate one more night alone.

#08—Doors

Malik expected there were many closed and locked doors in Seto's psyche, and he intended to break down every one of them.

#09—Drink

Malik had drunk too much sake, ("Just a taste," Seto had remembered Malik saying.) and Kaiba was currently using every bit of his restraint he had learned in his disciplined existence not to take advantage of Malik's inebriated state.

#10—Duty

Malik gets so pissed when Seto keeps checking watch over and over again on their date that he snaps, "Stop treating this like a goddamned duty! This is supposed to be fun!"

#11—Earth

Seto finds Malik sitting quietly on a mound of earth with his eyes closed in the gardens obviously deep in relaxation and neatly stops in his tracks when he realizes Malik is missing his shirt.

#12—End

Seto is shocked when it is Malik who declares "It has to end," first.

#13—Fire

In the flickering firelight of the study, Seto notices that Malik's coppery features take on a godly radiance and cast sparks into his violet eyes just like Ra himself, but Seto could never tell him that; there was only room for _one_ god in this relationship.

#14—Fall

The two fell off the bed in an undignified heap of blankets and the only two sounds emitted are Seto's growl of annoyance and Malik's titter.

#15—Flexible

Seto knew he was fixed in his behavior and Malik was naturally more flexible, but he never thought Malik could be _this _flexible; entwining his tongue around Seto's own like a snake.

#16—Flying

Malik quietly admitted that the Blue-Eyes White-Dragon jet was impressive, but Malik suspected that Seto was just showing off his flying/piloting skills as opposed to showing him a good time.

#17—Food

"Don't you eat? You know…food?" Malik dared to ask one day as he scrutinized Seto's slender frame.

#18—Foot

Though Malik was not a genius of his caliber, the lad was sharp and quite perceptive at that; Seto often had to mentally screen his words as not to accidentally put his foot in his mouth.

#19—Grave

"I was…happy when my father died," Malik said reproachfully and paused a bit before he continued, "it was as if a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders when he was in his grave," to a silently nodding Seto looking on with dark hooded eyes; their feelings on fathers were mutual and both had contributed something to their demises though neither wished to admit it out loud.

#20—Green

Seto grinds his teeth together in annoyance while making a mental note in his head _not _to ever bring Malik in his car again as the Egyptian rages beside him, "Move already, Seto! It's green!"

#21—Head

Malik hates it when Seto stiffens up when his fingers idly brush up against the many times over abused CEO's head; he hadn't meant any harm, though he supposed it couldn't be helped.

#22—Hollow

Seto throws the hollow empty candy wrapper at Malik while grumbling something about "messing up my damned desk."

#23—Honor

Malik is the honorable sort and decides not to torture Seto by making him wait to dial his cell phone number because simply getting his number at all had been a miracle.

#24—Hope

Neither Seto nor Malik have any high hopes for this union, however each man decides to ride it out to wherever the journey takes them...even if it takes them off the edge of a cliff.

#25—Light

Seto tells himself he's not hiding Malik, but he stringently prefers not to take him out in the light of day and instead waits for the cover of night.

#26—Lost

Seto annoyedly drums his fingertips on the desk as he waits…twenty minutes later for Malik to return from the restroom and upon arrival when Malik catches the look on Seto's face; the tomb keeper retaliates defensively, "What? I got lost! In case you haven't noticed, your mansion is _huge_!"

#27—Metal

"Does that hurt?" Seto asks as he reaches for the gold metal tightly encircling Malik's neck where he promptly gets his hand slapped away in annoyance.

#28—New

Gradually, Seto will get used to this new feeling of being loved, even if he couldn't be sure it was quite sincere from Malik's end.

#29—Old

Malik Ishtar was living proof that old didn't always equal boring when Seto's fingers dug into Malik's back for support as the motorcycle roared into the night.

#30—Peace

For Seto, the still peace of predawn is even better with Malik's warm willing body to wake up with.

#31—Poison

He cautiously touches spoonful and spoonful of soup to his lips as if to check for poison until Malik wants to hit him in the head with the ladle because of the legendary mistrust of Seto Kaiba.

#32—Pretty

Seto would classify Malik more pretty rather than the traditional handsome with the younger lad's high-cheekboned features and huge enchanting eyes…just because.

#33—Rain

When Malik gets enamored by the rain pouring outside and stands to watch in rapt fascination as he stares out the high windows; Seto gets enamored just by the expression of awe and healthy respect on Malik's face for something other than his own ego.

#34—Regret

In the end, when Malik declares that "The road is calling," Seto regrets that the whole entire affair couldn't last longer.

#35—Roses

Malik had to stifle a giggle when he saw Seto stick his nose in the rose's soft layered petals simply because it was so uncharacteristic of him…and he loved it.

#36—Secret

Keeping their relationship a secret from Yugi and his gang was quite simple actually since neither teen interacted much with "friends."

#37—Snakes

"I'm not afraid of snakes," Malik boasts nonchalantly, "I have a lot of experience with them," while eyeing Kaiba up and down in a not so friendly way when the blue-eyed CEO suddenly steps forward and grasps Malik's chin far rougher than he intends to when he responds quietly, "So do I."

#38—Snow

The white snow reminded him of Seto; cold and icy yet still managing to set his skin aflame when he dared to hold it in his bare hand.

#39—Solid

Seto is still waiting for his currently mutable world to become solid now that Malik has totally and completely overturned every schedule and routine he has ever set for himself.

#40—Spring

Both are stunned that they are still together when the blue irises push through the dirt the following spring.

#41—Stable

When the amusement park's Ferris wheel shifts threateningly; Malik holds onto Seto's hand for stability and Seto almost faints.

#42—Strange

Their relationship is strange in the sense that it is filled with too much empty silence with nothing to fill it except distracted politeness.

#43—Summer

"Come on, Seto! It's so cool in here!" Malik calls out from the swimming pool in the shimmering summer heat as he watches Seto watching him from water's edge, but he knows the dignified stuffy businessman never will.

#44—Taboo

"This was such a minor sin in ancient Egypt. Why is this such a taboo now?" Malik asks curiously as he unbuckles Seto's belt amidst his partner's concerns of getting discovered and inevitably ending up on some newspaper headline.

#45—Ugly

Malik ponders that the only thing ugly about Kaiba is his attitude, and he can live with that for he had _seen_ the exquisite body that was usually hidden from sight under the CEO's trench coat—yes he really was that shallow.

#46—War

The plate crashes against the wall inches away from Malik's head in an act of blatant warfare when he tells Seto he loves him…an odd reaction he thinks.

#47—Water

Seto raises an eyebrow in surprise when Malik comes in with a paper cone filled with cooler water and realizes that it was for _him_.

#48—Welcome

Seto wonders if he's making a huge mistake when he welcomes the little catalyst known as Malik Ishtar into his life.

#49—Winter

Seto reminds Malik of winter; icy and cold with life ready to spring up in the right circumstances of warmth—then he wants to throttle himself for thinking so disgustingly romantic.

#50—Wood

As to the future of their union, all Malik can do is knock on wood, though he suspected that Seto didn't believe in such superstitious nonsense…


End file.
